Understanding your skin

Here are two videos chuck full of valuable information on skin, skincare and what you should be using. Its important to know what you are putting on your face and why. Just because something works well for one person does not mean it wil work for your skin. These lovely ladies have two of the best videos I have found so far. Check them out, you wont regret it!

Products you DO NOT want anywhere near your face

Toothpaste-First of all, it usually contains baking soda which is an alkaline substance that compromises the quality of the lipid layer and the integrity of the skin. 3 main ingredients in toothpaste=sodium lauryl sulfate(an alkaline soap), mint(an irritant), and silica(an abrasive). So in a nutshell you are striping your skin of the ability to protect itself from bacteria and using an abrasive substance to make tiny scratches all over your skin and throwing something at it that will irritate the crap out of it. Excessive drying may help acne at first but you will then have to worry about the fact that your skin no longer retains moisture and wont take to any lotions you use. Thats what happens when you damage the lipid layer. The lipid layer keeps skin healthy and able to do its job(which is to expel toxins). You do not want to to alter this little guy. the key to good skin is to create a balance. that means use gentle products that wont compromise your skins integrity.

My life

Making your own eyeshadow palette is easier than you think!

Who on earth, other than an actual professional makeup artist, actually enjoys carrying around all of those single eye shadows that you have accumulated over time. What If you are going to get ready at a friends house but you haven't decided what you are going to wear yet? This happens to me all the time. As it turns out, the color I wanted to wear was the one I forgot at home! So to solve this dilemma, I started watching videos on YouTube for fixing broken or cracked eye shadows with alcohol. I then stumbled upon pressing pigments into little pans and I thought that sounded like a really good idea. I had like 15 single color eye shadows, some from urban decay others from mac. I would love to just be able to grab all of them at once and go. So here are a couple of videos I made of me creating my own custom palettes and pressing pigments. I also have a video where I decorate the cover so its all puurrty! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoy these! My son also makes a little debut in the first video but boy is he a crabby one. The only bad day hes ever had just so happened to be on the one day I was filming a video!!

DIY coffee scrub

Make your own curling wand!

Home hair coloring adventures

the goal

I have been loving the deep auburn red hair that I keep seeing pictures of on pinterest. No matter what I did, I didnt look like any of these girls. These women of course had really long hair that was just curled perfectly, shiney as all hell and really vivid. How was I to know that red hair fades within a week and tends to look really dull. I figured because I am irish and have some deep red undertones that I could keep the color looking great. Nope, brown roots and dull red middle with light red ends was all i could get. So now Im on a new venture. Lets go dark brown. Well now I look washed out and even more pale then I did before. It being winter probably isnt helping that situation. I look like I could be cast in the next twilight movie, perhaps as the ugly step sister or something haha. So now what.....I look some more at pinterest trying to get some ideas of where to go from here. Deep chestnut with bayalage-ombre-ish highlights seems like the new trend. Hmmm, going to the salon isnt really an option so I guess I'm in for another trial and error adventure. Lets hope my hair doesnt fall out!